


Bombs on Monday Morning

by JackallDreams



Category: The Beatles (Band), Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Angst, Author trying to be edgy rararara, Hey Butter, John Lennon's Death, Mild Gore, WET CHICKEN, Warrior Cats AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackallDreams/pseuds/JackallDreams
Summary: The death of one John Lennon, but in my warrior cats AU. I'd like to write about it more and since I have yet to do that, I'll clear some things up:Jayhook = JohnDarkbird = PaulSunrisespots = GeorgeStrongnose = Ringo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Bombs on Monday Morning

**Author's Note:**

> RARARAR special greetings to my friend Butter, what's up 
> 
> I've had this AU in my head for a whiiile and I haven't written about it yet so might aswell start with this! If you're going into this without a clue what warrior cats is, strap in because it's about to get confusing as haell
> 
> Darkbird (Paul) is a Shadowclan warrior  
> Strongnose (Ringo) is a Windclan warrior  
> Sunrisespots (George) is a Thunderclan warrior-turned-medicine cat  
> Jayhook (John) is a Riverclan medicine cat  
> [[Also, unlike my Dream SMP fanfiction, I'm taking this seriously rararara]]

The Gathering was packed full of cats, pelts either shimmering or reflecting the moon's pale but powering light. Shadowclan's deputy, Darkbird, let his gaze wander over the many figures of felines before him. He sat at the base of the large, somewhat gnarled oak tree that the leaders took place atop, letting no smile cross his lips until a single drop of satisfying news was dropped. Of course, not every Clan had arrived yet--Windclan was still absent, for reasons nobody knew.

The dappled tom-cat stood from his position on the oak's roots, and let his paws lead him to the very front where the medicine cats mingled. His tail waved in greeting to the small group and he dipped his head in respect. One of the apprentices puffed his chest out proudly, and Darkbird inwardly chuckled. Turning to his friend Sunrisespots, he murmured a vocal greeting and sat by his side.

"You haven't seen..." the grey calico hesitated, his thin, long tail tapping against the ground momentarily. "Jayhook?" Darkbird finished. "You can say his name. We got it all sorted out."

"You mean you've murdered him?" The calico pondered jokingly, earning a small smile from the other tom. "Believe me it probably would've been easier. But, no...we made up. A few sunrises ago, it was. We agreed that after the Gathering we'd go hunting together, catch up, y'know. Kind of like how we used to."

" _Used to,_ " Sunrisespots echoed. "Starclan. It's been so long since we've acted like friends, hasn't it? We used to tackle eachother instead of "hello". Now it's just...you whisperin' like you're afraid to utter anything that might earn a glance from the almighty Tawnystar."

"Alright, alright, I get it-- _Spotsy's jealous of my deputy-shiiiip!_ " he mocked in a voice just a few pitches above his own. Like they used to do. His friend shoved him, grinning and showing off his sharper-than-average canines.

"Enough reminiscin'. I'm just curious on where Jayhook is. Should he not be here right now? His Clan is...he has no apprentice yet, so he's the one who should be here..." Darkbird could sense the heightened worry laced in his friend's words. He gave a comforting lick between his ears--a brotherly display of love. The calico's tail curled around his paws and he sighed. "Right, right...panic makes a cat go crazy, I've heard," he shook his head. 

For a brief moment, Darkbird remembered Sunrisespots telling him of that motto once he had begun his late medicine training. _"Ay, he keeps makin' me repeat this dumb motto. You'd think that, well, I'm grown, I wouldn't have to deal with him babying me--no! I mean, most days we're good friends, but recently..."_ and after that it was blurred, because Darkbird distinctly remembered having a glaring competition with Jayhook. His ears dipped a little in shame as he recalled it. At least they had made amends. Tension was still thick as the bark that grew on pine trees, but it was peeling nonetheless. 

"You know, I heard he was planning on training his kit," another medicine cat quipped in. Darkbird gave her a glance that told her she was uninvited. She ignored it. "Poor thing, too," she went on, oblivious to the fact that Sunrisespots was sitting straighter and staring at her oddly. "Ending up with a name like that. Shame his father had to run off with a kittypet." She licked one of her white, pristine paws, running it over her ear as if she hadn't just insulted their friend.

"Starlingleaf, I think Eveningpaw wants you," the calico tom lifted a cat brow, suggesting she leave. Starlingleaf, the medicine cat in question, tutted and walked off to see to her apprentice.

"Is that true?" Darkbird turned to his friend. "Is he really planning on turning Sean into a medicine cat?"

"Sean _kit_ ," Sunrisespots corrected. "And yeah, I think so. He's really excited to be taught by his father, I'll tell you that much."

"Does he realise he's kind of, if not fully, being forced into this?"

"I think you've worried enough about Jayhook's offspring for your own good. Let it be, Bird. Don't you have your own kits to be worried about now? I heard Oakwool's pregnant, ay?" the calico nudged his friend. Darkbird smirked, proud of his mate and their future. His chest puffed a little. "Yeah. We're hoping for a tom and a she-kit, but honestly...any family with her is a family I--"

"BIRDIE! SPOTSY!" came a familiar-sounding yell. The two toms looked at eachother, properly confused. They glanced at the source of the voice. Down came running the muscled figure of Strongnose, their companion of a long time. He slowed his pace as he reached the two others but purred and rubbed against them nonetheless, spreading Windclan's scent of breeze and hare all over the two.

"Finally off your punishment?" Sunrisespots grinned. "What took so long?"

"You sly snake, you! You're lucky you're a medicine cat. I had to do apprentice duties day in day out...whew, I'm glad to be back. Let's never take a surprise quest miles away ever again, eh? I think twice was good enough for us." the built tom-cat huffed, a little out of breath from having run a long way. "Where's Jayhook? I heard you two mended wounds," he nudged Darkbird with a paw.

"Funny how you knew and Spotsy didn't, what with you literally being stuck in camp for _moons_!" he chuckled, louder than he usually would at a Gathering. "News travels fast in Windclan. We aren't called speedy for no reason, hmm? Anyways--where's our pal?" the grey tabby peered around to check, and even lifted his muzzle in the air to taste for scents. Nothing was found.

"We don't know, you see," Darkbird clarified, somewhat sullenly. "He's just not here."

"Maybe he's out with Yoko?" Strongnose suggested, frowning at the mention of the kittypet mate of Jayhook. 

"On a Gatherin'? He wouldn't miss it. Especially if everyone's starting to, y'know, get better an' all...hmph." the grey calico shook his head, presumably stuck in his thoughts. Darkbird patted his paw with his own, but quickly made his way to his place on the giant oak's roots as the Gathering was called to a start. The other two took their places either among the crowd or in front of the tree.

"Attention, cats of all Clans," started Riverclan's leader. Her voice was strong, but grief circled her words carefully. "I have horrible news." 

Now, cats were starting to pay closer attention. The sleek-pelted leader of Riverclan went on.

"As you all have probably noticed, our dear medicine cat Jayhook is not attending this Gathering," her voice cracked a little. "Jayhook has been murdered," she uttered. "Riverclan has no medicine cat."

Gasps rung out throughout the crowd. Darkbird found himself zoning out. _What?_ he thought to himself. _He...what? Murdered? No. No..._

"No," he voiced aloud. "Jayhook isn't--Jayhook isn't dead. You're lying. You--he can't be...what? _What?_ " the dappled black and white tom rose from his seat on the roots. "You--you're a liar!" he shouted. Sunrisespots began padding over to him, ears pinned down to his head, giving the illusion like they didn't even exist. Darkbird felt his claws unsheathe.

"Birdie, she wouldn't l--" 

Blood splattered onto the tree's dried, gnarled roots. The grey calico stood in shock, staring at the blood that dripped down his spotted fur, eyes stuck to his side where the blow had landed. Darkbird's fur had fluffed up and he reared back.

"YOU'RE ALL LIARS!" he screamed, distress hugging his every sound. "HE HASN'T DIED!"

Deep down, he could only let the horrible truth pierce him like a badger's claws. But at the same time, it couldn't be true. Starclan wouldn't allow something like this to happen--murder? Medicine cat murder? No. They had just made up. They had just started making progress. No--no, this was a joke. A cruel, cruel joke. His tail lashed angrily, and he began to walk through the crowd that fearfully parted for him. Upon hearing the call of his name--or what sounded vaguely like it, sounds weren't anything but fuzzy at this point--he began sprinting, across the fallen birch tree and onward towards...something.

He started to lose his breath, but he'd never stop his running until he found it. _It._ He wasn't sure what _it_ was, but he knew he desperately needed to see it, otherwise he'd go even more...more...what was he right now? Where was he? What was this? The snap of a twig under his paws brought him back. His eyes were glossed over, heavily so. He realised dimly that he was about to cross the border from Thunderclan to Riverclan. 

_Please, Starclan, please,_ he began to pray. _Lead me to it. Guide my paws. I need to see it. I need to believe it. Please, Starclan._

After what seemed like ages of aimless running, his fuzzy mind recognised the scent of fish and water. And then he tripped over something--something stiff and wet. He fall onto his belly with a loud groan.

For a moment he didn't wanna get up. He looked at his paws and from far away the tangy scent of blood caught his nose. _Am I bleeding?_ he stood weakly. He felt no pain. Where did the blood come from? And then it hit him.

He turned.

There lay the lifeless and messy body of Jayhook, throat torn open and gushing crimson all over the dewy grass. His sides had been clawed to shreds, fur sticking into the deep and unfix-able wounds, tendons torn through as if he were nothing but a measly rabbit. Darkbird felt his legs collapse.

He started to sob, crawling up to see his friend's face closer. Terror seemed frozen on his features, his long, aquiline muzzle arched to bear his teeth in what had probably been his last scream. The dappled tom-cat winced alongside his shaking bouts of tears as he licked down a wild tuft of fur atop his friend's head. His eyes were open, and looked cold. His entire body looked cold.

He shouted something then--he doesn't remember what, but it was full of pain, and it lead a patrol of cats from the Gathering straight to him.

As they approached he hissed and crouched in a defensive positive above the body of his friend, accidentally planting a back-paw straight into a puddle of guts and thick blood as he walked forward. His sobbing picked up once more--not that it had ever really stopped.

"Darkbird," he half-heard Sunrisespots meow, concerned. "Come on, Darkbird."

The cat in question looked down at his paws in shame. They were full of Jayhook's drying blood, creamy in-between his claws. He took a step away from his body and immediately collapsed again. His vision went as dark as the clouds that were shifting over the moon. 

The cats that had followed him from the Gathering had to drag him to his camp, creating a snail-trail of blood that didn't belong to the poor deputy. The cats helping him all collectively noticed that he had fur snagged between his paws. His entire underbelly was fully caked in the foul crimson, the white splotches stained and the black splotches gleaming almost menacingly.

The cats also noticed, though not many believed it to be true, the shining outline of a spirit aiding them and staring at Darkbird's unconscious body sadly. 

**Author's Note:**

> WELL THAT ENDED UP A LITTLE LONGER THAN EXPECTED...I definitely wanna experiment and write more gore because it's so brief in this story but that's fiiiine! I also feel like it's a little too fast-paced but I'm not gonna ask for anything more from a one-shot written by me. ANYWAYS WET CHICKEN WET CHICKEN
> 
> [[AND YES RINGO'S WARRIOR CAT NAME IS STRONGNOSE. I really do not regret that, but keep in mind he was named "Strongkit" because when he was born he was ill and his mother believed his name would guide him towards healing. Aaand he's super buff in my AU for no reason. His suffix is nose for obvious reasons]]


End file.
